Will Aditya Chopra's risque gamble on 'Befikre' pay off?

New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- Director Aditya Chopra's romantic drama Befikre that arrives in theatres this Friday is more than the regular high-profile Yash Raj Films release expected to set the cash registers ringing almost customarily. The film, starring Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor, has already created enough buzz, thanks to its bold theme, which as the trailer suggests, is a departure from the kind of cinema Chopra has directed, if not produced, so far. His three directorial ventures were romantic family dramas-Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), Mohabbatein (2000), besides of course the extraordinarily successful Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)(1995)-all featuring Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in the lead role.
"Without Shah Rukh Khan, Aditya Chopra is not a tangible enough commodity for audiences. People do not have the kind of expectations from him that they would have from other SRK-centric directors like Karan Johar who can make a film without him as lead actor," said film critic Raja Sen, adding that it would be interesting to see if the director can break out of the comfort zone he has devised for himself with this new film. "I don't think Chopra has been able to carve a distinctive cinematic identity partly because every film he makes goes back to the one film he made 20 years ago (DDLJ)," said Sen.
To be sure though, Chopra has played his cards well. Working in Befikre's favour, first and foremost, is its modest budget despite ostensibly exotic locations in Paris where the film has been shot. Trade experts say the Rs50-60 crore spent on making the film should easily be recovered even if net domestic and overseas box office collections fall within the Rs60-70 crore and Rs20-30 crore range, respectively. Another Rs30-35 crore is likely to come in from the sale of satellite rights.
"It's cost is modest and can break even if it does reasonably well," said trade analyst Amod Mehra, who foresees a good opening for the film. "It's a safe bet commercially even though the subject is bold and likely to appeal more to young multiplex-going audiences in the 16-30 age group."
Industry experts who emphasize that Chopra's new-found directorial boldness has to do with the fact that he has realized he needs to move on from just making love stories. They said the buzz around the film is also based on lead actor Ranveer Singh's current box office status. His last two releases-war epic Bajirao Mastani and family comedy drama Dil Dhadakne Do-earned Rs184 crore and Rs76 crore, respectively.
"Aditya Chopra directing this film says a lot about the fact that the industry currently is very bullish about Ranveer Singh and believes he can pull off a big film, that he's the guy to gamble on," Sen said. "He's had back-to-back successes lately, something that a Ranbir Kapoor or even a Shah Rukh Khan, for that matter, can't boast of."
Along with an exhaustive promotional campaign, which includes the reclusive Chopra issuing statements on his choice of actors, Befikre also has a popular music score to bank on in the run-up to the release.
"The release is quite ideally timed," Mehra said. "Though the cash crunch persists, there are no excuses for a good film. For an average film, on the other hand, there are hundreds."
Published by HT Syndication with permission from MINT.